Police: Teens rob woman, 89, force her into car trunk

Four found in stolen car day before kidnapping

By Melissa Steele | Mar 25, 2013

Source: Delaware State PoliceJackeline Perez

Police say two girls robbed an 89-year-old Lincoln woman, forced her into a car trunk and drove around for about two days before releasing her in a cemetery miles from her home and driving away in her car.

The girls, Jackeline H. Perez, 15, and Junia McDonald, 14, both of Milford, were at the Chicken Man Convenience Store in Milford at 11 a.m., March 18, when Margaret E. Smith, 89, of Lincoln, drove up, said Cpl. Gary Fournier of the Delaware State Police.

Fournier gives the following account:

The girls asked Smith for a ride to several Lincoln-area homes, and Smith agreed. When they arrived at the home, the girls demanded Smith's car keys; Smith refused and struggled with them until the girls forcibly took the keys. They ordered Smith out of the car, forced her into the trunk and drove away with Smith inside the trunk. Jackeline and Junia also took more than $500 from Smith's coat pocket. They drove around for almost two days with Smith in the trunk giving her no food or water and leaving her overnight in the trunk while they stayed in a Seaford hotel. They eventually dropped Smith off in a cemetery on Calvary Road, off King Road, east of Seaford. Someone visiting the cemetery Wednesday morning saw her and called police.

Police arrived at the cemetery at about 8:20 a.m., March 20, and found Smith, who appeared confused and was suffering from exposure; her car was missing. Smith was taken to Nanticoke Memorial Hospital, where she was treated and released.

With the help of a relative, Smith went to police the evening of March 20 to tell them what happened.

"She's a very strong woman to be able to endure this and come out of it," Fournier said.

While she was at the Georgetown troop, police in Bridgeville stopped Smith's car on Chaplains Chapel Road with Junia, Jackeline and three others inside, Fournier said.

Junia and Jackeline were charged with first-degree robbery, first-degree carjacking, second-degree kidnapping and second-degree conspiracy. They were both committed to Stevenson House Detention Center in default of $122,000 cash bond.

Rondaiges and Phillip were charged with second-degree kidnapping, receiving stolen property and second-degree conspiracy and committed to Stevenson House in default of $27,000 secured bond. The boys were charged with kidnapping because at one point, Fournier said, the car trunk was open, and they saw Smith inside it.

Daniaya Smith faces charges of receiving stolen property and second-degree conspiracy and committed to Stevenson House in default of $2,000 secured bond.

Police said all of the teenagers face felony charges. As a result, and because of nature of the alleged crimes, the Cape Gazette has reported their names.